Impact of thermal modification on some selected physical and mechanical properties of Daniellia oliveri wood

The field of eco-friendly wood preservation, particularly the potential of thermal modification, is an area that demands immediate attention. There is an urgent need to promote the use of lesser-known timber species. This task requires filling the gap in research by evaluating the impact of thermal modification on the physical properties of a Ghanaian lesser-known timber species ( Daniellia oliveri) ) wood. The study, which adopted an experimental research design, involved selecting and harvesting five samples of D. oliveri trees from the Du-West community. The study revealed that the specimens' moisture content (MC) drastically reduces as the modification temperature increases, with a similar trend observed for the density of the specimens. Volumetric Swelling (VS) and Water Absorption (WA) decreased as temperature increased. Moreover, as the modification temperature increased, the mechanical properties decreased.